What is Executive Staff?
The CSPD Executive Staff is made up of three different divisions: CSPD Human Resources, Police Finance, and Research & Development. These divisions are staffed by civilians who help keep the day-to-day operations of the police department going and aid in strategic planning for the future.
CSPD Human Resources
The Human Resources Section is responsible for oversight, processes, and procedures of all human resources functions related to the Colorado Springs Police Department. The Human Resources Section is responsible for employee relations, joint investigations with Internal Affairs, policy interpretation, performance management, and coaching. Human Resources also oversees position management and liaises with City Human Resources on related matters including compensation, benefits, and Worker’s Compensation. CSPD HR is comprised of two sections: Recruiting & Advancement and Employee Services.
The Recruiting and Advancement Section is responsible for all sworn and civilian recruiting, testing, assessment, and hiring. This section also includes the Background Investigations Unit for pre-employment for sworn and civilian hiring, and the Polygraph Unit, which is responsible for pre-employment and criminal polygraph examinations. The Recruiting and Advancement Section is responsible for the creation and validation of sworn promotional testing processes.
The Employee Services Section is responsible for payroll, performance evaluations, leave administration, transfers, job descriptions, administration of all HR systems, and interacting with all CSPD employees regarding all HR-related questions. This section also includes the Court Liaison Unit, which is responsible for monitoring daily court-related activities and facilitation of the day-to-day operations of the court process.
Police Finance
The CSPD Police Finance division is made up of 4 sections: Fiscal Services, Grant Administration, Budget Analysis, and the False Alarm Program.
CSPD’s Fiscal Services Section staff works closely with the City’s Finance, Budget, and Procurement Offices to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly managed. They provide contracting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, grants management, and budget preparation services to the Police Department. Fiscal Services also manages the Department’s False Alarm Program.
Grants allow the Department to purchase equipment and implement programs that cannot be funded by the regular budget. CSPD’s Grants Unit writes grant applications, ensures compliance with grant regulations, and submits required programmatic and financial reports.
Following the City’s established budget development guidelines and funding allocations, CSPD’s Fiscal Services Section works with CSPD Command Staff to develop an annual budget that allows the Department to efficiently meet its organizational goals. This budget is tracked closely throughout the year to ensure compliance with our contractual obligation to the community. T o ensure budgeted dollars are spent appropriately, the payment process for all expenditures is initiated and approved by CSPD Fiscal Services.
A false alarm is a notification of a burglar or panic alarm situation to the Police Department when the responding officers find no evidence of an attempted or actual criminal offense. These false alarms delay police from responding to actual calls for service. CSPD’s False Alarm Program has been established to reduce false alarm situations through education, progressive fines, and suspension of response.
Research & Development
The CSPD Research and Development division have four primary tasks: legislative review, research, planning, and data analysis.
The Research and Development Section assesses each bill introduced in the Colorado legislature for potential impact on community safety and the Department. The administrator collaborates with a variety of stakeholders in developing responses to bills through testimony or suggesting changes in other ways.
The Research and Development Section is responsible for coordinating and overseeing internal and external research. Duties include collaboration with outside researchers and vendors, developing and analyzing internal surveys, and researching best practices in policing.
The Research and Development Section coordinates the development of CSPD strategic plans, collaborates with the City’s strategic advisory team, and reports on performance metrics. The section also supports program development and planning on a variety of topics.
The Research and Development Section performs a variety of data analyses and evaluations, including: annual reporting on the use of force and pursuits, workload assessment and resource allocation, and ad hoc analyses of a variety of response data and administrative data. The section also oversees the development of the CSPD Data Hub and other efforts to improve data and information transparency with the community